Why Fasting Attracts God: 2 Things That You Must Never Do In A Fast

God created the human body as a finely tuned physical engine of enormous power but it requires fuel to keep running. That fuel is known as food. God created within us an appetite for food known as hunger to ensure that the body is fueled. Food satisfies our needs. appetites and provides us with energy as part of nature's balance to keep life going, so why would anyone choose to go hungry in modern times? We are conditioned to eat three times a day. We are constantly reminded that a good break

fast

is the foundation of the day. We will be strong.

We were taught in school to eat three square meals a day and exercise to be strong. So why go without food? The world calls not eating a diet and usually does so to lose weight or for health reasons, but some go without eating for spiritual reasons. Reasons why this is referred to as a

fast

in the Bible, a fast is usually carried out for a set period of time to achieve a spiritual goal. Consider the following example from the Old Testament. Once a year, the Jewish believers were to fast Leviticus 16 29 and this Be to you a perpetual statue that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you will afflict your souls and do no work, whether it be one of your own land or a foreigner residing among you, because this fast was observed on the day of atonement it is known as the fast of yom kippur the phrase means day of atonement god required his people to fast once a year on the day of atonement everyone went without eating why everyone because God wanted everyone to remember the solemn experience of his or her salvation on the day of atonement the high priest entered the most holy place and offered the blood of an animal in exchange for the sins of everyone leviticus 16 24. and he will wash his flesh with water in the holy place and put on his garments and come forward and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people because the day of atonement was about the sins of the nation, everyone fasted to identify with the high priest who sacrificed a lamb for forgiveness. of his sin Jesus told his disciples when you fast Matthew 6 16-18 when you fast do not look gloomy as the hypocrites do because they disfigure their faces to show others that they are truly

fasting

I tell you that they have received their reward in their totality seventeen but when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face 18. so that it will not be evident to others that you are

fasting

, but only to your father, who is in secret, and your father, who sees what is done in secret, it will reward you when you give up both pleasant and necessary food you attract the attention of god even back then jesus warned us not to flaunt our fasting jesus warned his disciples not to fast to be publicly acclaimed the fact that It says that whe

never

you fast it indicates that it considers fasting to be a legitimate spiritual act.

The discipline of fasting is to temporarily abstain from a bodily craving, usually eaten out of a spiritual need. Instead of eating, you engage in secret prayer seeking God's intervention. in the kingdom; However, if your goal in avoiding food is to have others compliment you on how spiritual you appear, then their approval will be your reward if you have

never

fasted before. The thought of going for a period of time without eating is probably terrifying. People are concerned about a variety of issues because we are programmed to eat three times a day. People wonder if they will go hungry and if the hunger pangs will be painful.

Others have different concerns, such as: Can I hold on? They don't want to embark on a journey they won't be able to complete. What if they see a television commercial? That suggests that a bar of chocolate will help you overcome the afternoon slump Others are worried about how their friends will perceive them if they fast My friends will think I'm weird if they find out I'm fasting The answer is simple, you're not fasting to impress others. your friends and usually you don't even tell them as Jesus said earlier said when you fast, you anoint your head and wash your face so that it will not appear to men that you are fasting but to your father who is in the secret place. and your father who sees in secret will reward you openly matthew 6 17-18 jesus was reminding us not to make an outward demonstration of our religious dedication to god fasting on the other hand is a private commitment between you and god you can fast privately and No Tell no one other times that you will participate in a public fast, such as with your church or another person to solve a problem.

Ezra fasted with 4,000 people and Esther asked all Jewish believers to fast for divine intervention. Every year in May, Christians are invited to participate. on the national day of prayer and fasting what is fasting fasting is not the same as dieting and fasting is not the same as eliminating food for health there are many types of fasts for a spiritual reason there are many reasons to fast and accompany the experience with prayer Fasting is a biblical discipline that can help anyone improve their spiritual fitness and become a prayer warrior for God. Some believe that Christians do not require discipline.

However, we build our strength through spiritual exercises. We

must

remember that we are soldiers of God. christ a good soldier is well versed in a variety of disciplines fasting is just one of the many disciplines of a christian expect opposition to fasting if you pray for others whether for your church or for the salvation of people satan will oppose you fasting Like climbing a mountain it is a demanding undertaking both spiritually and physically. Undertake this adventure with a clear understanding of what you are doing and knowing that the road ahead may be difficult, but the benefits will be worth it.

Start small if this is your first fast. God will honor your first step of faith, which may seem small to others but be giant to you. God also cares about your heart's response during a fast. Your attitude is a very serious part of your fast. Just like when a man proposes to a woman, it is not the length of his proposal that gets a yes, but his heart, so when you start fasting don't worry about how long your fast should last, just make sure you May your relationship with God be in good working order. God is aware of everything he understands and values ​​the sincerity of your prayers again and again. above its duration so if you have never fasted before start with a meal skip fasting in the old testament jews were required to fast for one day on yom kippur each year one day started at sunset and ended at sunset the next day, according to the jewish calendar god taught the jews to count their days so evening and morning were the first day genesis 1 5 plan to start your fast when the sun sets or maybe a little before it sets the sun This means that you are going to do without the normal dinner and then skip breakfast and lunch the next day after the sun went down, most Jews broke their fast by eating a normal meal and fasting with a friend, although Private prayer and fasting are the basis of all intercession if you have never walked this path. way before you want to begin your fasting journey with another person if you are fasting for a specific answer to prayer invite someone else to pray and fast with you there is strength in numbers jesus said matthew 18 18-19 i truly tell you what Whatever you want to bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed again in heaven.

I truly tell you that if two of you on earth agree on anything they ask for, it will be done for them. by my father in heaven these verses are not just about prayer, they are also about the commitment we make in agreement with another person, consider it this way when planning a vacation with another person, it is more memorable if you plan dreams and share experiences together when you share your vacation with another person. You will probably get more out of it. The same goes for fasting. When you share the experience of fasting and praying together, your prayers will probably focus more on fasting with another person.

On the other hand, it has additional advantages. You have someone with whom you can talk about your doubts questions and fears if fasting scares you another person's strength can help you overcome it you can always call each other for advice and ask each other how they are doing that phone call could give them the motivation they need to keep going don't do it forget about the celebration when you go up you only do it to prove something to yourself and the victory is only yours when you climb the mountain with others however you have many people to celebrate with when you reach the top you cheer up you hug and then come back to tell everyone about your victory when Once you have finished fasting, you will be able to rejoice together.

Simply being together makes victory taste even sweeter. Another advantage of fasting with a friend is that it establishes accountability. You'll be less tempted to snack or break your fast. If you know a friend is aware of your fast, perhaps you've previously jogged or walked with a friend for health reasons. If so, you understand how having a partner can help you stay committed when

things

get tough. If you are strong, you won't need it. someone to help you with the responsibility, but if you are not collaborating with someone who is in the same boat as you, it can be beneficial to fast with a purpose when you are preparing to fast, look deep inside your heart to discover why you are fasting .

Numerous Reasons to Fast That We Will Discuss You may have already had a reason to fast when young David went out to face Goliath. No other Israeli soldier would face the colossus. Not only did they refuse to fight Goliath, but each gave David a different reason for avoiding battle. but David was not deterred, he had a compelling reason to fight this particular giant and fight. It is not just a matter of praying and fasting. We are fasting for a reason. Are you willing to fast and give up your pleasure? Make a list of your cause. Write it down on paper so you can see it with your own eyes.

When you keep a cause wrapped up in your mind, it can become blurry or vague. You may have a general idea of ​​why you should fast right now, but take the time to write. your reasoning will sharpen your concentration if you see it written down plan everything don't go into your fast casually or with a hit or miss attitude plan to succeed if you don't you will most likely fail don't engage in a fast just to see how far you can go get there I'll try until I'm hungry some people have said about fasting and then give up at the first sign of discomfort make a firm commitment to fasting for a day regardless of the circumstances in which you have progressed from thinking about fasting to wishing Be more spiritual until you take the next step and commit to seeking God for your cause, you are committing to fast based on the grace and help of God, what type of fast, types of fasts, absolute fast, this is a fast in which you eliminate all food and water Paul followed this type of fast for three days after he saw the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus and he became blind and Paul was without sight for three days and did not eat or drink acts 9 9. in your first fast do not follow absolute fast this fast is intended for those who are deeply distressed or who are fasting to resolve a serious problem such as liberation from an addiction or protection from a spiritual adversary normal fasting during this fast you avoid all solid foods and drinking only liquids fasting is used most frequently in the Bible to refer to people who do not eat solid foods the topic of drinking liquids is usually omitted in those days Jesus did not eat anything and then when they finished he was hungry Luke 4 2 there is no mentions Jesus drinking liquids when people fast what they drink many people eliminate pleasant drinks like soda and various types of fruit drinks this corresponds to the Old Testament description of them grieving and fasting isaiah 58 3 why have we fasted, they say and You have not seen it, why have we humiliated ourselves and you have not yet realized it?

On the day of your fast, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. The partial fast. In this fast, you eliminate certain liquids or certain solids, but not all the liquids and solids this is also called daniel's fast because he did not want to eat at the king's table but daniel insisted 1 12 please test your servants for 10 days give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink the fast did not harm daniel nor his friends on another occasion, daniel reflected the spirit of partial fasting daniel 10 3 I ate no choice foods, neither meat nor wine touched my lips, and I did not use any lotion until the three weeks were over. this is a partial fast that specifies what daniel avoided 1. pleasant food similar to our donuts or cakes a dessert fast 2. meat this was a meatless diet and 3 wine that which is pleasurable or brings joy john wesley's fast as The founder and leader of the great Methodist movement John Wesley called all his parish preachers to New Chapel or London for a conferenceevery two or three months to prepare spiritually for the conference.

Wesley fasted for 10 days before each lecture eating only plain whole wheat bread and drinking water. Wesley fasted and prayed for spiritual power to influence his ministries. At these meetings everyone agrees that those Methodist preachers left the conference with the intention of changing the world those preachers established the largest Protestant denomination in the world a reflection of God's honor to Wesley's spiritual dedication to fasting and prayer the Rotation Fasting This fast is rarely used in Christian circles because it is used for medical purposes primarily to determine a person's reaction or allergy to specific food groups to cleanse their system.

The patient usually has one day of normal or absolute fasting and then for six days only a new food group is introduced and eaten each day in rotation. Through the six food groups, this helps determine which food is causing a person's physical problem by elimination and exclusion. How to choose a fast when preparing to fast. There are several factors to consider. Consider your specific situation before deciding which approach is best for you. Here are some ideas. The First Fasting Factor As mentioned above. If this is your first fast, I recommend starting with the one-day Yom Kippur fast. a longer period of time to address a serious or ongoing problem, perhaps Fasting one day a week for three weeks is preferable to starting with a three-day fast.

Remember that if this is your first fast you are embarking on an unknown journey, you

must

proceed with caution because you are learning new skills and attitudes for both yourself and yourself. Alma, your first fast should be a normal fast where you eat nothing but liquids for a day. This practice will help you train your body not to react negatively if you then eliminate both food and liquids. The corresponding factor you must try to match the reason. your fast with the type of fasting choose a normal fast for a routine request choose a fast with stricter requirements for a more serious problem the comfort factor you should feel at peace with both the duration and the type of fasting, obviously, when decide what you will do eliminate when you pray you should not question yourself or feel guilty that you are doing the wrong thing choose a type of fast that allows you to feel comfortable with your decision the time factor a variety of factors influence your decision to fast or the length of your fast you should think about your weekly schedule which days of the week are not suitable for fasting what special event is coming up when fasting is not recommended thanksgiving christmas weddings etc never start a fast with a long fast you have no idea what to expect from your body or how you will react emotionally a one day fast is very simple any fast you choose is the first keep in mind that it is an act of faith god sees your heart and will reward you accordingly